Gathering battlefield intelligence is a well-known problem in the art. On the one hand, intelligence is an essential component of the battlefield; on the other hand, there are obstacles to obtaining such information. The traditional means of gathering information about the battlefield involves dispatching a reconnaissance unit. However, the use of human reconnaissance involves risking not only the crew of the reconnaissance unit, but the entire squad, since the reconnaissance unit can be captured and interrogated by the enemy. Additionally, situations exist where a living person cannot gain physical access to a location where hostile activities take place.
It should be understood that the term “battlefield intelligence” is not meant to be limited to army activities only, but it encompasses all kind of situation in which hostile activities take place. These include, for instance, police activities directed against common criminals, terrorists, infiltrators, etc. Accordingly, all reference to intelligence, soldiers, battlefield, etc., apply mutatis mutandis also to such civil uses.
Nowadays, as the technology develops, better, less risk-laden solutions to this issue have been introduced. One of them is the Remotely Piloted Vehicle (RPV), which is an unmanned vehicle (usually—but not exclusively—an aircraft) controlled from a distant location through a communication link.
Other developments in this field deal with projectiles which comprise intelligence-gathering equipment launched from an artillery tube, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,962,537 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,467,681. The drawbacks of these inventions are the size and photography method involved. Regarding the size, according to these patents the projectile is launched from an artillery tube, thus causing logistic problems such as coordination with a canon battery, and hence these solutions are not suitable for the personal level, viz., situations in which individuals are in need of immediate intelligence but are not in contact with a suitable artillery support. Regarding the photography method, the camera is placed on a landing parachute, and hence it covers a circled area photographed from above, which involves targeting problems.
All the methods described above have not yet provided satisfactory solutions to the problem of gathering battlefield intelligence at the personal level.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and system for gathering battlefield intelligence, suitable for the use by an individual soldier, police officer, and the like.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and system for gathering battlefield intelligence which can be launched from a rifle independently operated and carried by an individual.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and system for gathering battlefield intelligence, the operation of which is simpler than the methods of the prior art.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method and system for gathering battlefield intelligence with a manufacturing cost appreciably lower than prior art methods and systems.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method and system for gathering battlefield intelligence which can target “over the hill” or urban objects.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.